By JOE McFARLAND

Heading into the 2025 Western Canadian Baseball League season, the Okotoks Dawgs knew they would have to fill a few big holes.

With veterans like Graham Brunner, Caleb Lumbard, Brendan Luther and Tucker Zdunich all graduating, a few younger players would have to step in to provide big moments.

One of those players turned out to be infielder Brandon Paez.

The Montreal, Quebec native and Dawgs Academy product was highly touted coming out of high school, signing on with the University of Utah right away.

While he didn’t get into any conference action, the 6-foot, 180-pound freshman learned a lot, then returned home to see some game reps.

Paez did that in spades, hitting .329 with a home run, 14 runs batted in, and six stolen bases in 22 games as the Dawgs kept up their winning tradition.

With the team on top of the West Division standings once again, the infielder says it was surreal getting to play at Seaman Stadium, where he dreamed of playing after high school.

Paez joined early in the season for an episode of Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast, which helped form the basis for our final 7^th Inning Stretch of the 2025 season.

1. What’s it like being one of the guys who went from selling 50/50 tickets up on the concourse here at Seaman Stadium and now being one of the college team players?

It’s surreal. Obviously, this place gets packed with the best fans in the world. It’s a full-circle moment for me, for sure.

2. Between Dawgs Academy and now the WCBL Dawgs, what does this program mean to you?

It means the world to me. I wouldn’t be the player or the person I am today. I learned so much, made life-long friends, the coaching staff, everything, the environment, everybody is just there for each other, getting to work every day … there’s no other place like it.

3. Heading into the season, did you have any goals or expectations of yourself?

Not really. I just wanted to play good, put on a show for the fans and win another championship.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Club (@okotoksdawgs)

4. This team has won three championships in a row now. Are you feeling any pressure to deliver a fourth?

Obviously, but I think everybody on this team knows, the coaching staff knows. We love the target, we embrace it and embrace the spotlight. There is added pressure, but we thrive under it. This is where I believe we play the best. We know what we have to do and regardless of the pressure and everybody else, we’re not focused on that. We’re focused on ourselves and playing winning baseball.

5. Looking back on the young career to this point, any favourite memories or moments on the field where you had to take a step back and go, “I can’t believe I get to do this”?

I think winning all the championships with the Academy were big moments. Just the comraderie and brotherhood meant everything to me. All those wins, we were really successful in my time here and they will continue to be. I think that was my favourite. Stepping on a college field for the first time is definitely up there as well as a highlight. Playing my first college game in the fall is definitely up there as well.

6. What’s your go-to piece of advice for those young kids wanting to be in your shoes one day?

The old cliché of work hard and you will get there. To me, work hard but you also have to enjoy yourself. Baseball is a long game, a long season, a game of failure, so if you don’t enjoy yourself, you’re asking too much of yourself to show up to the field every day. You will get to the Hall of Fame if you fail seven out of ten times, so you really have to enjoy yourself and enjoy the grind. That’s my key.

7. What would it mean to you to win a fourth championship with the Dawgs?

It would mean everything for the fans, for the team, for everybody, you know. It’s become an expectation for us at this point, so we’re going to go out and get another one.